Coloribus Animi
by Tisara
Summary: She wasn't made for this world; an undergrad with a penchant for music, heart on her sleeve, and head in the clouds. It always irritated Daryl how often she got herself into trouble. He hated how soft and ill equip for the world she was. He was undoubtedly screwed the minute they met. 'She has a light inside her, and I swear if you snuff it out I'll kill you'Daryl/OC Summary inside
1. As the World Falls Away (Chapter 1)

**Full Summary:** Hailey was nothing more than a dime-a-dozen undergrad, with an affinity for music. During a layover to visit her father in Georgia, the ZA hits and she is forced to flee Atlanta with her best friend Dean. Follow as they learn to find their place in the new world order, and maybe, just maybe, they'll survive. With barely a handful of camping trips between them, it's sheer luck they've managed to survive as long as they have. Declining groups and staying to themselves, they will eventually have to accept that making it on their own just isn't cutting it anymore. That's when they run into a tall curly haired sheriff and a man with a crossbow who keeps rubbing Hailey the wrong way. Slow Burn Darly/OC(Hailey). This will also have a few OC characters, including enemies, and I will be trying to keep this story varied and interesting while following the show to the best of my ability. Some characters will not die, and there will be reasons.

 **Author's Note:** This follows through Season 2 and onward. They do not meet Rick's group until the time between Season 2 and 3. I hope you enjoy my rendition of their survival of winter, and I hope you enjoy the work I've put into the story to have accurate weather, landscapes, and areas. I have mapped out the entire groups travels, even when they must leave the prison in season 4. This story starts off slow and the main character appears weak and reliant on others. This is on purpose as I like writing the human experience, which was the entire purpose of the comics, or so says their creator. This will have a lot of MA content, I will also be tackling a lot of nasty human behavior and situations. I will do my best to give trigger warnings and avoid graphic depictions of sexual assault and rape the best I can. This is also a slow burn. Hella slow burn. I'm sorry but Daryl love fests will not occur for a long long time. I will, however, give loads of fluff, moments, and unique scenes to not bore anyone.

The first chapter is to set up the two OC's and the next chapter will progress to a mini ark to set up future plot points. This story does not perfectly follow canon as I will be cherrypicking some things from the comics to help make this interesting. I will be using characters and story-lines from the games as well which have been confirmed canon with the show and comic world. My timeline will be the best I can make it to fit the shows/games. It was said the ZA started in July in the first Walking Dead game so that is the date I am using. This is further backed up by the current season in Fear the Walking Dead, which occurs well before what the CDC calls day 0. Rick's group et al will make their appearance fairly soon as well.

 **~Chapter One Start~** Trigger Warnings: Minor gore depiction/mention of unsavory individuals and acts

 _September 28th, 2012 Afternoon [+72 days since outbreak]_

The sun was beating overhead as she breathed out a sigh, her lips chapped and sore. She raised a dirt covered hand to cover her eyes and she looked out from her perch on a tree alongside the desolate highway. Searching across the hazy landscape she managed to locate a few stores in the tiny truck stop they could attempt to find a few days rations as they traversed through the wilderness.

They had learned months ago it was safer to avoid places people frequented as best they could. Pressing two fingers to her mouth she let out a low soft whistle as she descended down the tree with newly practiced ease.

Out of another tree came a much larger figure, he jumped from farther up than her landing solidly in a crouch. Standing her brushed his tanned hands against the faded blue of his jeans.

"It's probably been picked clean." He rationalized as he took a look at the tiny stop she clearly wanted to ransack.

"Slim pickings around here, this is the only stop for miles, it's better than nothing." With a shrug she adjusted her large backpack and ventured across the highway, her hand pulling the large hunting knife she had strapped to her leg, out.

"It might just be safer to continue seeing what we can hunt and forage in the forests instead." Her larger companion complained as he took the lead, checking the vehicles for walkers as they passed.

"You know it's getting dangerous to rely solely on the cover of a forest. We are going to need to find somewhere to stay sooner than later once it starts getting colder." She trailed off as they reached the dirt covered door, a handprint still staining the window on the other side.

"Looks inviting." Her companion dryly remarked as she gave him a glare and pushed open the door. The bell at the top jingled lightly as she tapped her knife against the door to draw out any walkers hidden inside.

"Come on, looks clear." She smiled as she saw no movement. Letting the door close shut they both took a look at the upturned store with a sigh.

"I think I see some energy bars near the counter." he twisted around a stand of what used to be potato chips and poked at the dusty bags there before moving on.

"Alright, I'll check the store room then." She leaned over the counter and found a small key hanging on a hook just underneath the till.

She smirked to herself, her semi-full lips pressing into a thin line as she headed towards a locked door with excitement. The door was a pale green, covered in dirt marks, graffiti, and various energy drink stickers. Stifling a snort she tested the door handle, ensuring it was sufficiently locked. With the same practiced ease she had with the tree, she pressed the hard line of her body against the chipping wall and readied to open the door towards herself.

She had read in a book once, that people were more likely to shoot at an opening door over the wall. Since she was stranded in the USA during the apocalypse it was safe to assume everyone, in Georgia at least, had a gun and was more than ready to use it.

She would be if she were in their position.

'Just like christmas...' she thought to herself as she pressed the key to the lock and turned. She heard the tell-tale click and opened the door slowly hoping there weren't any surprises waiting for her inside.

Quietly she peered around the door finding it clear.

Entering the room she found it largely emptied, but not entirely. A flat of water and various cans of cola were scattered around the floor. Alongside the left wall was a large shelving unit where she found extra energy bars, bags of chips, and jerky. Smiling in triumph she quickly collected everything in her spare bag and skipped out of the room to find her companion.

His name was Dean, he was a tall fellow with a lot of muscle on him. He used to be heavier set before their collective diets had changed, but he was still built like the hulk, and his posture kept most problem people away, far away.

It didn't hurt he knew how to handle a gun either.

They had known each other for years, longer even. They had gone to the same high school, and had the same hobbies. It wasn't surprising that they had ended up in this mess together.

It had all started with a celebratory trip to Mexico to celebrate her graduating University and getting accepted into her undergraduate program. It was a gift from her father and on their way there the plan had been to visit him in the states. However, as they arrived for their five day layover in Atlanta, Georgia, all flights were grounded/cancelled due to a statewide medical emergency.

That was the last time either of them had spoken to their families. After seeing a whole mess of walkers swarm the workers on the runway that same day, they had fled the airport sneaking through the swath of panicked people managing to avoid airport security, that were keeping everyone locked in.

It was just as well, several hours later the airport was overrun and barely anyone was able to be evacuated.

The had lost their luggage, keeping only their travel bags for their trouble. Luckily, the city had already started to fall apart. In a fit of panic and snap judgement, Dean had rushed a local Walmart and Cosco. He barrelled through people, taking hits that would have sent her down to the ground, in order to grab what was needed and get out before the cops tear gassed the place. If there were even cops still available too.

It had felt like years ago when they had managed to use the last bit of their phone's battery power to figure out how to hotwire a car and get the fuck out of Atlanta as the air raid warnings rang out like a dinner bell.

Then the napalm hit, they burned over half of the city in an attempt to control the spiraling epidemic. It failed, horribly. At least after that collecting supplies became slightly easier.

And then drastically harder.

She had no idea how they were going to survive the winter to be honest. The most luck they had as of late was finding a few local hunting stores that held a wide array of brand new hunting/camping equipment. Some of the stores even had rarer or less common types of machetes. Thus, they were now decently armed to the teeth. She knew that a Kukri machete wasn't common in the south, but damn did it crack through a walker's skull like it was made for the job. It had become her favourite knife, much to her companion's dissenting opinion. Machete's weren't meant to be used for cracking skulls, nor was a Kukri the best range she could get from a one. So he had convinced her to pick up a Bolo machete as well.

He had opted for a combat machete and a heavier Bolo one.

"Dean, look what I got!" She chirped as she showed him her bursting bag. She shifted her backpack higher on her shoulders as she pulled the satchel at her hip to her front and opened it.

"Oh nice! Beef jerky!" He cheered as he showed her his less than filled bag. Between them they had managed to find enough bottled water and food to allow them to travel for almost a week without needing to find a town or city to resupply.

"And you didn't like my plan." She laughed as they exited the small store.

"We aren't out of the woods yet, so come on Lee, let's get to some cover." He moved slightly faster and she hopped slightly to keep up with his gait.

As they entered the tree line as Hailey, fondly known as 'Lee', looked back longingly with a sigh.

Life was only bound to become more difficult from here.

 **~Break~**

 _September 29th, 2012 Late Night [+73 days since outbreak]_

Hailey remembered leaving Atlanta vividly, fighting through the crowds of people and trying to avoid traffic as they escaped the burning city. It wasn't an easy feat, and more often than once they had to offroad over parks and sidewalks to avoid the accidents blooming everywhere from the mass panic.

She often had dreams of it, nightmares really, which usually meant she would relieve Dean from watch early. She remembered seeing cars burning, people attacking each other, some even the dead ripping flesh from their fleeing forms.

She never wanted to enter a city again after that.

"Smoke?" Dean's voice lifted the sleepy fog from her mind and she shrugged her sleeping bag off with a nod. He handed her the stale cigarette and she plucked it from his fingers happily. Taking a drag she held it in her lungs for a brief moment, before breathing it out in small ringlets.

She didn't normally smoke, even before the end of the world she rarely ever looked at a cigarette much less touched one.

But when things were stressful she'd never decline an offered one. Lately, things were always stressful.

"Bad dreams again?" He asked, taking another drag.

"Nothing new, I wouldn't worry. I can take over watch now if you'd like?" She inquired as she received the cigarette again and took another drag, sans the long hold this time.

"You need to get a full night's rest one of these days." Dean sighed as he declined the last half of the cigarette and headed towards their sleeping bags.

They had opted against using the tents as long as the weather was good. Less to pack up in case of an emergency as well as the fact their tents wouldn't last forever. It was best to make every use count.

It was also less conspicuous. Other survivors couldn't be trusted, so they always stayed on the move like the walkers, hoping to avoid both the living and dead.

So far they had avoided the living well enough, the dead however was another story.

"Walker." Dean grunted as she slowly stood grabbing the hilt of her knife effortlessly. Flipping up the leather latch, she pulled it out in one deft movement and advanced on the shambling dead, reeking already of rotted flesh.

"I really hate the heat here, it seems to cause them to rot and fester faster." She let out a grunt as her knife plunged into the walker's eye, straight to the hilt. With another grunt she pulled it back out and the walker fell to the forest floor, causing some dried leaves to rise up and slowly fall around it again.

"Aww I got blood on my last blood free shirt." She groaned as she noticed the splatter on the front of her shirt. Sure enough her comfortable light grey polo shirt was stained with splatters of blood around her shoulder and front.

"There are worse things." She could feel his eye roll from here and pouted.

He always seemed more at ease in these situations than her, he wasn't as bothered by dirt and grime. Curse her OCD and particularities. It made slumming it on the countryside harder than it should have been.

But she knew better than to complain now, so she pulled the walker a safe distance away, before returning to camp to clean her knife. It would do her no good if the blade dulled and rusted from the congealing blood.

She sat back down and took a moment to gaze through the trees counting the stars she could see until she could breathe again.

'Maybe, just maybe we'll make it...'

 **~Break~**

 _September 30th, 2012 Late Afternoon [+74 days since outbreak]_

It had been a couple days and they had managed to find the forests became denser, too dense to travel along easily. So they kept close to the treeline near the highway, walking with care and keeping talk to a minimum.

"Do you remember vanilla coke?" Dean spoke up, stirring her from her thoughts. He had been silent for the past hour, insisting that they tread as carefully as they could. She was startled by his sudden question so she turned her head to regard him as she spoke.

"Course I do, I also remember the day you found it being sold at that store near my dorm. Bought out the entire stock I swear." She laughed as she nudged his shoulder.

"If I remember correctly you helped me drink it ALL that night." He pushed back as she shook her head, mouth bubbling with laughter.

"You wanted to blaze it, you know I LOVE cola when I smoke up." She shook her head and he let out a bark of laughter that warmed her chest.

Even at the end of the world he was able to make it seem lighter. She was lucky to have him as a friend.

"I also miss ketchup chips." He whined some more as she shook her head.

"Stop! You're making me hungry." She laughed as he started naming more.

"They don't have all the flavours down here, god of all the luck we get stuck somewhere without food we are used too." He mock whinged.

"Yeah, it's the difference in junk food, not the fact we literally know nothing about Georgia beyond the tourist maps we collected at that gas station." With a roll of her eyes she took stock of the area and nodded to herself finding it clear.

"I dunno, I honestly think having everything so different is what's making this so...frustrating." He sighed out, and he was right. It was.

"Fucking figures the day you and I fly for the first time is the day the zombie apocalypse starts." She laughed again, starting to feel a little lighter as the Georgia heat beat down on them.

"You just HAD to share that first with me, honestly you're like a bad penny."

"Bad penny, what does that make you? A broken mirror?"

"More like twenty broken mirrors, let's be honest here."

"Fine, I'm a handful of unlucky pennies and you are 140 years of bad luck." She would have continued but the groan of a walker startled them from their conversation. With a sigh she looked at Dean, who met her gaze with a shrug. She motioned for him to go ahead and he did, pulling his machete from his back sheath under his shirt. He cleaved it into the walker's neck, snapping it in half causing the rotting corpse to fall to the ground, the snapping head lulling to the side. Without missing a beat his combat boots smashed into it's skull, cracking it open like a rotten egg.

He quickly rubbed his boot against the long grass and wiped his blade against the towel he had slung to his waist for this very purpose.

"Wow, you get style points for that one." She jested, clapping lightly as he gave a mock bow.

"What can I say, it's all it the wrist." He rolled his wrist and raised his eyebrows up and down before turning back to the road and walking past the dead walker.

"So...where ARE we going?" She asked as she tilted her eyes towards him.

"Honestly, no clue. I am just hoping we can get a bit more into the country and find a farmhouse or something to hole up in."

"Think that's a good idea? Everyone has to have already taken what isn't overrun, that would be the first place I'd go." She tapped her chin and thought about how many people might have the same thought. Obvious places were all too dangerous.

"It's possible, but we don't always have that luxury. We still have a few months till it starts to get cold, so we may as well check out every option and decide from here." Dean's eyes flicked through the tree line, and he quickly swiveled his head to check their six. All clear.

"Maybe we'll find some chickens." She smiled, remembering how she had always wanted a chicken coop since their city changed the bylaws regarding them.

She didn't often talk about home, neither of them did. Any survivors they had met they had changed their story every time. The truth was boring, the truth could also get you killed. You couldn't trust anyone once the government fell, and they knew it. Being as deep south as they were, it was better they try to blend in and disappear. They knew they stuck out like sore thumbs.

So they both took turns telling outrageous stories, changing their home state every single time.

Information was worth a lot more than you'd think these days. It was the easiest way to trick people, trap people, use their weaknesses or loved ones against them. So they gave nothing to the people they met, and left just as quickly.

Dean had insisted, he trusted people even less now that the world had effectively ended. Not that she could blame him. He introduced them as siblings every single time, taking care to avoid ages and last names. As far as he was concerned anything else could lead to abuse of trust.

She didn't complain, she didn't really trust strangers before all of this. That was probably what kept them alive so long. Her age was hard to pinpoint so the more often they could get them to believe she was a little more morally wrong to abuse, the better.

Luckily they hadn't run into those situations yet, but they were hardly naive. When the world had ended she had found herself locked up in some random house on the side of the highway with Dean. The previous occupants had died in there leaving everything behind, and within the bathroom was a still a barely working electric razor.

So she cut her waist length hair off, cropping it short on her head like she were a boy. Keeping the sides buzzed short, and the top a couple inches in length. Switching her clothing to be baggier and more form-hiding, she came back out looking like a she was one hell of a tomboy, or a 14 year old boy. It worked just fine for her, as most people claimed her a young boy from a distance now.

That suited Dean just fine as well, he had even taken to calling her his little brother when they found themselves around company that assumed her to be a boy.

They let most other survivors lead the story, letting them fill in the blanks and offering nothing but confirmation once they had. It was safer that way. Let them paint the picture and just nod brusquely.

She did often miss her hair, but also knew by now it would have been ruined if she didn't keep it short. Even Dean had hacked off a decent amount, finding his once longer hair to be in the way. He kept the sides of his head shaved easily, keeping disposable razors on hand, and kept the long hair only to just below his ears. It made him appear much more intimidating.

Wastelander even, as they had often joked.

Once summer had come in full blast, she had started to wear wifebeaters and racerback tanks, keeping her sports bra on to flatten her out more. It helped, and was a lot more comfortable than anything she had worn in her previous life.

Besides, eventually bras would be impossible to find and recreate anyways. They weren't needed, and were an absolute money sink.

So here she was, wearing a grey wife beater, along with a black sports bra. She had slightly bluer jeans now, having found a new pair in one of the tourist stops they scavenged. Her old ones had holes and were blood stained.

"We're basically illegal immigrants at this point ya know." She spoke up as she kicked the clamouring hand of a half eaten walker away.

"What?" Dean asked, blinking himself from whatever daydream he was having.

"Like, we've been here longer than we stated at the border, legally we are errant immigrants hiding out in the good ol' state o' Georgia." She joked, adding a twang to her words.

"Chasing that good ol American dream, a little white house atop a hill, a nice huge electrified fence, and a gatling gun." He joined in on the joke as she cackled with mirth.

"I dunno, I'd KILL for a working shower to be honest." she clucked her tongue at the thought and rolled her shoulders.

"I'd kill for a car and enough gas to stop walking everywhere, but those fuckers are loud and attract all sorts of trouble." Dean hated the long walks in the sun, but he hated not being able to see at night so it was a trade off.

"You're just mad someone stole the jeep we stole two months ago." She rolled her eyes as she adjusted her backpack, scanning the perimeter again.

"Of course I am! Who wouldn't be. The world really has gone to the wolves." He stated as he peered off into the distance. She let out a breathy laugh as they continued on their path.

 **~Break~**

 _October 1st, 2012 Early Evening [+75 days since outbreak]_

Hailey was trailing the pads of her fingers across the rough bark of the cedar trees they passed. She was humming to herself idly, a song she wasn't certain of the name nor lyrics, but the tune was trapped in her head all the same.

Slowly her fingers hit a rough and deep groove that curved. Blinking slightly, Hailey stopped and took notice of the markings etched deeply into the tree. They were circular in nature, with what looked to be the start of a star inside, but ended rounded at the bottom with a hook. A line went horizontally through from left to right, giving her a foreboding feeling.

"What...what is this?" She whispered to herself as Dean scouted ahead. Taking a moment to appreciate the curved and intricate linework of the simple mark, she felt a shiver run down her spine.

It was clearly man made but...why?

Hailey remembered reading stories of the homeless writing signs on train cars, towns, and places warning of danger or advising of a safe place to sleep. For a moment she wondered if this was one such marking, however there was no way to know if that meant good or bad.

"Hey Dean?" She spoke up as she jogged towards him.

"Yeah?" He asked, coming to a full stop.

"I think we should avoid heading this way, the trees are covered with the same symbol, we don't know what it means so..." she trained off assuming her thought didn't need clarification. Dean looked behind them and slowly his gaze reached the trees next to them. With a small sigh he turned towards their left and moved away from the marked trees.

"Good catch." He nodded as they headed west away from the ominous symbols.

 **~Break~**

 _October 2nd, 2012 Early Afternoon [+76 days since outbreak]_

The day was startling hot for October. Granted, the two were used to a climate farther north and along the coast. They were thankful for the small graces either way. Having to battle snow and ice without proper shelter may have seen to their end if they were back home.

They had found more of those same circular markings littering the treeline to the east. They easily moved away and headed towards a small farmhouse located a mile off the main road. There were risks, but for once they needed a comfortable night sleep. While the days were warm, the nights still got cold.

"Look it's either we head towards this farmhouse, or we head into the creepy cult forest." Hailey sighed as she gave Dean a withering look.

"It's safer if we don't head into there. We are deep into the countryside now and we've run into several herds already. It's better we don't get caught with our pants down." He growled back. Tensions had been high since last night when they had hit their last days supply of water.

"Look farmhouses have wells, come on. We can at least get some water and check it out." She pulled her backpack against her weary shoulders and started up the dirt road, blocked off by a wooden vehicle gate. It wasn't impressive, just enough to stop anyone from detouring onto the property. No trespassing signs were all along the treeline, following the dirt road all the way up to the house.

"Fine, you're right. But we follow routine." He ordered as he took the lead.

"Hey..." Hailey began as she fingered the 'no trespassing' signs on the trees, "Maybe...maybe those symbols aren't notifying of danger or safety...what if it's a no trespassing sign?"

"All the more reason we avoid going that way." Dean grunted as he did a quick sweep and hurried his way towards the house.

"Yeah...probably for the best..." she agreed as she walked away from the treeline, following Dean. However, she had failed to notice a crude circular marking splattered with red on the tree just to the left of the one she had been inspecting.

 **~End Chapter One~**

 **Author's Notes:** Ok so I have added a whole bunch of information and just thrown it into your faces. Sorry. I am not at all from Georgia, nor am I even American. I am relying heavily on my Southern partner who HAS been in Georgia and grew up in North Carolina. I am also relying upon google maps and the weather website that logs every temp and stat every single day as far back as you can think to check. Basically I am doing my best to keep things realistic to the area and not turning too Canadiany. Anyways I hope it shows! Please call me out on any inaccuracies. Please don't point out injury inaccuracies as I do research those and in fact check my sources and human beings are very capable of surviving a whole bunch of damage. However, the inaccurate ones I write are going to be already canon and I can't do much to avoid it...RIP the whole Carl eye thing. But I digress. I encourage you fact check if you are not an expert or professional before calling me on something as it's not helpful for me to re-fact check a correct fact and get nothing out of the interaction. This isn't a hard or fast rule, just a preference of politeness as I do in fact put a LOT of effort into my research. So much so that I even fact checked injures via the CDC and medical teaching resources online from Universities etc. Including a University from my own home town.

That being said, I am neither an expert nor a professional on everything I write so I will get things wrong, what I am wrong about please share so I can fix it, otherwise I hope all reviews are constructive in some way. I hope you enjoy this start so far and I hope you all enjoy the further chapters to come.


	2. A New Dawn is Born (Chapter 2)

**Info**

 **Groups:** Rick et al(Group A) - The Farm then they get run off towards Peachtree at the end of chapter Hailey and Dean(Group B) - Traveling the countryside near Palmetto, towards a storage unit near the I85 at the end of chapter.

 **Characters so far** : Dean - Traveling with his companion Hailey, is the group leader.  
Hailey - Traveling with Dean, takes a caretaker role.

 **Author's Note:** Here is the second chapter, I am posting it with the first one so you guys don't need to read too much filler/story set up and get to the fun meeting Daryl (and I suppose everyone else too) that I know everyone is waiting for in these types of stories. I promise the set up is important.

 **~Start Chapter 2~** Triggers: Graphic violence/Mention of blood and wounds in detail/serious injury mention

 _October 2nd, 2012 Late Afternoon [+76 days since outbreak]_

They had reached the farmhouse without any trouble. Dean quickly scouted the perimeter while Hailey refilled their bottles with clean well water. As she was tightening the caps, Dean came rushing back with a wide grin.

"The kitchen has some supplies, it's tightly boarded up. Looks safe for the night, there's even a bed!" he wiggled his eyebrows causing her to laugh as she smacked him in the chest and headed towards the front door, rushing to inspect their lodgings for the evening.

It was a relatively small farmhouse. It was all one floor, with three bedrooms in the rear of the home. The front had a small entry way/foyer, a hall moving towards the large kitchen also located at the rear right of the building. Across from the kitchen was two doors. One leading towards a bedroom/study, the other leading towards a bathroom. Attached with an open doorway was a small dining area that held a pair of bay windows showcasing the front yard.

Along the left side of the house was a large living room that held two doors leading towards the last two bedrooms. Quickly Hailey covered the windows and helped barricade the door before snooping around.

She noticed the farmhouse had not been looted yet, but was a disaster. Various pictures, pillows, and knick knacks littered the ground. Smashed glass and bits of blood speckled the kitchen floor and she knew then that the group that had been here previously had not survive.

Ignoring the remnants of someone's failed attempt at survival, she quickly went towards the door that lead to one of the bedrooms. The room was small and had clearly been used as a study by the original owners. Now, however, it held a makeshift bed in the corner that held a few dusty possessions. Heading towards it she knelt down and fingered the faded brown of the cover.

Opening it she noticed it had been a diary.

'July 25th, 2012. Sarah and I managed to find a lovely couple that had holed up in their neighbors farmhouse. They had vacated it back in July intent of being with their family at one of the refugee camps people have been rumouring about. All emergency channels have officially stopped though. No one seems to be seeking survivors anymore, Sarah is holding onto hope but I have to be realistic. The Government can't help us anymore. But that's ok, we the people can. Just today we rescued a man and his daughter. She's only 8, but she is the sweetest child I have ever met. Her name is Anna...'

"Whacha got there?" Dean asked, startling Hailey from her reading.

"Oh shit! You scared me! It's someone's diary...someone named...actually no idea, they never signed it." She sighed as she scanned the entry she was reading.

"Look at the inside of the cover?" Dean offered.

Opening it up she pressed the pliable front cover away, and sure enough it had a name on it.

"John Garrett..." furrowing her brow she noticed some doodles that looked startlingly familiar...

"John Garrett doesn't even sound like a real name." Dean laughed as he headed from the room.

"Why do you say that?"

"Just weird hearing two common first names together," He shrugged, "Sounds fake."

 **~Break~**

 _October 2nd, 2012 Late Evening [+76 days since outbreak]_

"Shit there's a small group passing by." Dean muttered as he peered through the curtains and through the nailed boards to see the lumbering dead.

"If we stay quiet they should pass." Hailey countered, trying to calm the twitching muscles in Dean.

"You know how quickly they can hear a sound and start trying to rip down doors..."

"Yeah but it's also after sundown. I think it's best we stay quit and move away from the doors and rest." She softly pulled Dean away and they both sat together against the adjacent wall in the living room and tried to sleep between the moans and groans of the shambling dead.

 **~Break~**

 _October 3rd, 2012 Early morning [+77 days since outbreak]_

"All gone!" Hailey gushed as she looked out into the wilderness ready to face the new day.

"We got lucky, that's all. Come on let's keep going." He ushered them down the dirt road quickly. A small shadow darted from one of the trees above them, and too the next, before heading towards the farmhouse.

"Think we will be able to make it to the next roadstop before lunch?" Hailey asked.

"As long as we keep up our pace we should..." Dean nodded as he folded up their map.

 **~Break~**

 _October 5th, 2012 Early Evening [+79 days since outbreak]_

"Hyn!" Hailey grunted as she slammed her smaller machete into the skull of the rotting corpse gnashing its teeth at her. She tossed the body away from herself and took a deep breath. She had to kill three walkers that had burst forth from the truckstop bathroom she was in.

Foolish.

And that ruined yet another shirt and knocked over the bottle of water she was trying to clean herself with. Shit. What a waste.

Collecting her stuff up she quickly cleaned the pockets of the walkers she had taken out. She only found a couple bullets and a granola bar for her trouble.

"It's becoming more and more of a waste to check corpses...people who die usually don't have much." With another sigh she quickly left the bathroom, sans one bottle of water.

"You ok? I heard you scream." Dean rushed over towards her and quickly inspected her dirty flesh for bite marks.

"Nope! All good. You'd think I'd have learned after watching Zombieland but nah." She shrugged with a small grin.

"One day you won't be able to joke about this" Dean laughed with a shake of his head.

"Well I suppose it's a good thing today isn't that day, now isn't it!" Hailey stuck out her tongue as she quickly left the truck stop moving towards the highway.

"Just be careful."

"I always am!"

 **~Break~**

 _October 6th, 2012 Mid Afternoon [+80 days since outbreak]_

"Score!" Dean cheered as he came through the corner stores door motioning for Hailey.

"Score?" She blinked as she finished filling her bags with various preserved foods and bottles of pop/water.

Running after him she entered into the adjacent hunting store called 'Bob's Custom Fire Arms' and her mouth fell. While the guns had been looted, sitting in the case still were an array of Diamond Bows compound bows.

"Is there a lot of ammo?" she asked as she started to root around the store.

"Not a lot, but enough. I know a little about hunting and shooting a bow, so I should be able to teach you. As for making arrows...we will have to learn to do it by hand." he shrugged as he tossed her a quiver full of arrows and a wrist brace/glove.

"Wear the glove, it will help. Now we can avoid staying so close to the highways now. Want to learn to hunt?" He grinned as he handed her a smaller bow, shouldering the larger one until it sat comfortably.

"Sure!" she gripped the bow tightly, her fingers pressing against the handle tightly. He quickly showed her how to string her bow

 **~Break~**

 _October 6th, 2012 Late Afternoon [+80 days since outbreak]_

Dean had managed to catch a rabbit, but that was it. Hailey was not fairing so well. She had managed to hit a few walkers in the chest. Sadly, most of her arrows went awry.

"My arm is on fire!" She groaned as she rubbed her right arm.

"The key is practice, once you become accustomed to shooting that thing, you won't even notice." he let off another shot which hit a walker in the head and he grinned.

"Show off." She scoffed as she retrieved her errant arrow. They had veered around some town called Palmetto, and had headed into the wilderness around Tommy Lee Cook Rd.

"Careful now, you need to concentrate or you could skin your whole arm." Dean warned as he walked over to correct her draw.

"Yeah yeah...I know." She grumbled as she shot the arrow a bit too far to the left and it hit the dry dirt with a thud. Heaving a heavy sigh she went to retrieve it.

She heard the sound of a rope snapping tightly as she twisted to see what it was. Suddenly her foot snapped to the left and she was thrown unceremoniously to the forest floor. Her arm was stuck painfully in her bow as she was pulled fast towards the left and dragged through the dirt and leaves. Kicking out she attempted to stop her momentum, only to snap her ankle painfully to the left. She let out a cry as she was pulled upside down and hung there painfully from her throbbing ankle.

"Lee!" Dean cried as he bolted towards her, knife out. She held onto his shoulders and he quickly cut through the rope and she landed on him with an oumf.

Dean helped her stand and she hissed as she tried to put weight on her foot. Her wrist was sore, but nothing damaging. Her ankle however?

"Is it broken?" Dean asked, his lips pressed in a thin line.

"I...I don't know to be honest, I don't think it is...I'd be in more pain I'd imagine." She limped towards her fallen bow and retrieved it. She let her shoulders sag as a smile spread across her face, at least her bow was undamaged.

"We need to get you somewhere where you can rest your foot and we can check it out. Able to push on?" Dean asked as he took her arm and wrapped it around his neck.

"Yeah, I can manage." She smiled a crooked smile and he knew she was playing it off. She was in pain.

 **~Break~**

 _October 6th, 2012 Early evening [+80 days since outbreak]_

Just behind 'Bob's Custom Fire Arms' was a small one bedroom home. They quickly stepped in and shut the door. Dean spent the first few moments barricading the windows and door properly while Hailey sat down and removed her boots .

Her ankle was an angry throbbing red and light purple. She could feel the heat emanating from the joint and sighed. Pressing her fingers all around the bone she checked both of her ankles to ensure nothing was out of place.

"I think I am ok, it's a bad sprain though..." she glumly responded. Slowly she took her what bandages she had and wrapped it up before putting her boot back on.

"Shouldn't you let it rest without the boot?" Dean inquired as he pulled out a can of beans and opened them.

"Yeah but we don't' have that luxury. If we get cornered by walkers here, we won't have time to put my boots back on." She shrugged as she accepted the can without protest.

"Bon Appetite!"

 **~Break~**

 _October 6th, 2012 Late Evening [+80 days since outbreak]_

"Who do you think laid that trap?" Dean finally asked.

"I don't know...it was probably a one off. People hunt all the time in Georgia, probably other survivors." she couldn't help the itching in the back of her skull shouting danger however. Those ominous marks she had seen before kept coming back to the forefront of her mind.

"Either way we will stay here a day or two so you can rest. We are far enough from the interstate to avoid most herds." Dean attempted to quell her growing fear.

"Yeah, that sounds good. We could both use a rest." she evenly replied. She wasn't doing too well to be honest. Feeling the immense fatigue and hopelessness that had started to eat away at her at each passing day.

 **~Break~**

 _October 7th, 2012 Early Morning [+81 days since outbreak]_

'Sarah tells me that the world is growing darker each day. Every time we make a run for supplies and people, we end up having to kill to survive. To be honest I am starting to feel like nothing will return to normal, that everyone else out there are just as much of a monster as the dead are.

I have to hold on to hope though. I have my health, I have Sarah, and for every group we have to kill, we save someone new. I have to believe that's enough.'

"Whacha doing?" Dean asked as he wandered towards me with a granola bar for breakfast. He had his bow strung and hung off his back.

"Reading. Going hunting?" I asked as I fingered one of the pages in the diary.

"Yup, hoping to save what supplies I can by hunting." He grinned as he headed towards the door.

"Be safe!"

"You too!"

 **~Break~**

 _October 7th, 2012 Late Afternoon [+81 days since outbreak]_

The temperature had dropped today to a reasonable chill. Hailey and Dean rarely found it cold, however, having come from somewhere colder. Despite the lower temperatures, Dean returned hot and sticky from his hunt. He had not managed to catch anything but was intent on heading back out till the evening. They ate another can of beans and chatted idly about where they should head to next. Hailey's book was folded in her lap as her attention was focused solely on her best friend.

"We could try finding one of those closed neighborhoods?" Hailey suggested as she picked at her fingernails.

"Too dangerous for two people. We wouldn't be able to hold it against a herd or another group of people. It's better we find somewhere that is easily overlooked/easy to defend." He responded. His deep baritone voice reminding her of the sun.

"Yeah, you're right. Going back out?" She asked as he nodded once and strung his bow up on his back and left.

"Now to see what John Garrett got up too..." Hailey grinned as she peeled open the worn journal.

'Food is running thin today. Sean and I headed into Tyrone to see what we could find. We took a car so we wouldn't be gone long, however what we found was a sea of dead. We managed to make it out but Sean was bitten. We lost a bottle of water and collected no supplies. I had to shoot Sean before we made it home, having to find shelter that night in an abandoned office building. When I had left I took his body wth me. He deserves a proper burial, his daughter deserves a place to visit him. Sarah and I have taken her in as our own. We've always wanted kids but couldn't have any together, nor find the time to go through adoption hoops. Now we have Anna. There is hope even in our darkest days'

 **~Break~**

 _October 10th, 2012 Mid Day [+84 days since outbreak]_

Dean and Hailey only remained in that small cabin for a few days, before setting back down the road. Their plan was to head south, but avoid the treeline along the main road just in case.

They ended up roving through the forest again, catching what they could and resting in trees. It wasn't their favourite way to live, but it was the safest while it was still summer.

Dean made a few motions with his hands, before signaling just before them to his right. A deer was grazing and hadn't noticed them yet. With a nod Hailey readied her bow, aiming the arrow against the ground just before her as she stepped slowly. Slowly she pressed one foot ahead of the other as Dean followed suit.

Raising her bow slightly, she saw Dean do the same from the corner of her eye. His arm strained against the pressure as his eyes darted towards the dear to gauge the distance. He took a deep breath and let his arrow go. It veered a touch too much towards the left, but hit the deer straight in the side.

It bolted and Hailey let her arrow go, and it hit it's rear causing it to stumble and slam into the ground. As they reached it, it had struggled up and bolted again, staggering slowly before them.

"Here, I'll slit it's throat." Dean advised as he handed his bow to Hailey. Stringing it on her back she readied another bow just in case of a walker. Dean shut his eyes and with a wince ran the blade of his knife against the deer's throat. It let out a strangled scream before it stilled before them.

"What luck." She laughed as she moved towards the deer to help move it away so they could work at getting the meat off.

They clumsily skinned and cleaned the deer, butchering some of the meat, but collecting a decent amount. Quickly they set a small fire to cook the meat all the way through and have a quick lunch.

 **~Break~**

 _October 11th, 2012. Late Afternoon [+85 days since outbreak]_

"UGH! It's too hot!" Hailey complained as she finished dispatching the two walkers they had stumbled upon. Brushing her growing fringe from her face, she rubbed her dirtied hands against her blood stained pants.

"Better than too cold, come on. Drink some water we need to keep going. I have a bad feeling about this area." Dean commanded, pressing forward with urgency.

"Yeah...I know what you mean..." Hailey agreed as she jogged to catch up. She pulled her knife to the ready and scanned the distance.

"What's that?" She whispered as she noticed a discolouration of the forest floor. Bolting forward she stopped just before it and frowned.

"Don't just bolt towards it!" Dean admonished as he came to stand beside her. Slowly he picked up a rock and tossed it onto the ground. With a snap the forest 'floor' gave way to a pit of man made wooden spikes.

"What the fuck?!" Hailey hissed as she stepped backwards, threading her fingers through her short hair.

"I don't know, but we need to leave." Dean warned as he turned around just as an arrow whizzed past where his head was.

"Dean!" She screamed as she pulled Dean towards her and bolted towards a thicker line of trees. However, she tripped and fell to her face, mouth full of leaves and dirt.

"Shit!" Dean hissed as he dropped to the ground beside Hailey as another arrow shot over them. She looked down and noticed her foot was tangled in a trip line and hissed at the pain spreading through her still injured ankle.

"We need to go now!" Dean shouted as he pulled her to her feet and urged them forward. Zipping through the trees they move back and forth in an attempt to avoid more arrows.

They ran for about 20 minutes before they could run no more and stopped. Taking in deep greedy breaths Dean and Hailey exchanged looks. It was time to start heading east, west wasn't safe. So they quickly adjusted their belongings and headed south moving back towards the I85.

 **~Break~**

 _October 21st, 2012 Late Evening [+95 days since outbreak]_

Hailey's fingers pressed against the dirt smudge pages as she turned to the next entry of the diary. It seemed that John had detailed all his thoughts every single day until he met his end.

Reading the next entry she couldn't help but smile.

'Anna is such a bright child. Her father's passing was hard, but within a few days she was drawing again. Drawing us, her new family, and her new life. She is such a sweet thing. Always wanting to help Sarah with the chores, always offering to help keep watch or rub aching backs. I find myself wondering more often that this world could destroy her. I refuse to let it happen. I refuse!

Today Sarah took Anna to the orchard and they collected leaves to make cards for everyone. When she gave me mine she had called me her second daddy and I just about cried.

Imagine that, me a Daddy.

I'll protect her with my life.'

It seemed that they had gone for over a month before the entries stopped. Sarah, John, and Anna had become a family and it almost seemed surreal it had occurred during the end of the world.

Then again, stranger things have happened.

They had found a cabin out in the boonies and had been staying there for the past few days. If they were lucky they could stay here a few weeks before moving on. The area had a decent rabbit population, feeding their greedy bellies easily.

Dean had started target practice, pulling her with him. They were hardly superstars, and Hailey was still a ways away from being able to hunt on her own and succeed. But Dean had begun to improve at a startling pace. He did most of the hunting, but still encouraged she come with and practice as well.

The few rabbits she caught did help her pride though.

They never did find out who had tried to kill them, chalking it up to stumbling into another group's home. Since changing their course they hadn't seen anymore traps or arrows.

"The area is clear, ready for some rabbit?" Dean grinned as he started a small fire in the kitchen.

"I sure am!" Hailey laughed as she sauntered into the kitchen and sat beside him. Hailey had managed to find some wild carrots and they had filled a cleaned out can with water and boiled them. It was the first 'real' meal they had had since before leaving on their flight.

"Here's to surviving god knows how long!" he cheered holding up a bottle of rum they had found the other day.

"Here here!" Hailey laughed as he took a swig and passed her the bottle.

She took a swig and grinned. Today wasn't such a bad day.

 **~Break~**

 _November 1st, 2012 Afternoon [+101 days since outbreak]_

"I'm sorry we couldn't stay there..." Hailey sighed as she put a hand on his shoulder. Dean shrugged her off and turned to her with a tilted smile.

"I know, me too. Just sucks that the herd has grown that big...it more than likely came from Atlanta." He didn't need to explain what he meant. Even more people were dead, and it was only going to grow.

"At least we have survived longer than probably anyone else we know?" She offered a strange macabre humor, which worked slightly as he did chuckle.

"Only because back home we'd all have frozen to death." He joked back.

They were still deep into the countryside. Mostly hitting the occasional set of farm houses/cabins whenever they hit a major road. They slowly walked through the thick forest, careful of their surroundings. Only occasionally making contact with a walker. As they pushed through the dry forest, Hailey started to notice more markings on the trees again.

"Dean..." she warned as they came near a large cedar tree that held a box shaped marking similar to the circular ones they had seen before. This time it was a square with a line crossing through the top and side, a diamond etched where the two lines met. Dean walked over and his brow furrowed as he inspected the mark. Slowly he let out the breath he was holding and turned away from the tree.

"We need to keep going, hopefully it's nothing." Dean muttered as they gave the marked tree a wide berth.

"Yeah but the problem is we don't know what it means..."

"It means whoever lives in these forests probably want us out, or dead." His lips were pressed tightly together and Hailey had to resist a shudder that spilled down her spine.

 **~Break~**

 _November 15th, 2012 Late Afternoon [+115 days since outbreak]_

They had encountered several more of the box like markings and ended up heading closer towards B.T. Brown Reservoir. They had opted for safety over convenience. However, it had it's benefits as a small community had set up around the area. Each with decent sized plots and houses. They had hit up a few to stay in during their treck already. It had rained for a bit in the early morning, but was finally starting to clear up.

"How's your ankle?" Dean asked as Hailey stumbled over a root.

"Fine, feels as good as new!" She chirped. Her dirt coated face giving her an inhumane look.

"Well once we hit the reservoir, we can bathe!" He grinned as they moved up a hill and came to the end of this particular treeline.

"I can't wait!" She gushed as she checked her map and found a rough idea of where they were. As she stepped forward she didn't see the tripwire located just infront of her. As she hit the taught twine, she stumbled and crumbled to the ground as her ankle twisted in an unfavourable way.

"Shit!" She hissed as she hit the dirt hard, knocking her shoulder against a rock. Dean had already started rushing for her when a large object plummeted towards her.

"Lee!" Dean shouted as he reared back to avoid the object. With a screech Hailey flattened herself against the dirty as the object passed overhead. As she looked up she noticed a handful of wooden spikes tied to a heavy rock. It was about torso level and would have killed her had she not fallen from her previous injury.

She continued to stare wide eyed at the object as Dean came over and helped her stand. Looking towards where it had been tied he discovered the same boxy marking from before.

"They've booby trapped this whole area..." He whispered as he ripped away from the tree.

"We have to stick to the roads...do you think they did this on purpose?" Hailey asked as she looked out into the stretch of treeless land between an array of houses.

"I don't know, but now that we know one of their symbols we can avoid them better. Come on." Brushed her back off Dean took the lead and headed towards one of the first houses closest to them.

"God I hate this part." Hailey sighed. She really did. The reminders left behind often reminded her of her mortality.

 **~Break~**

 _November 20th, 2012 Early Evening [+120 days since outbreak]_

They had avoided anymore traps and had finally hit the reservoir with ease. Rushing towards the shoreline Hailey giggled as she stripped down to her underwear and dove into the water. She scrubbed at her skin mercilessly, the water around her discolouring as she cleaned.

"Alright I guess you can go first!" Dean laughed as she rolled her eyes and threw him the finger.

"Hush, I smell putrid and can't stand it a minute longer." She defended as she threaded her fingers through her hair in the water. After a few minutes she felt sufficiently clean, well as clean as she could be, and headed towards the shore.

Dean was smoking his late cigarette as she picked up her bow and motioned for him to bathe. He grinned and quickly unclothed and headed into the shallow water.

"Where should we head after this?" Hailey inquired as she wrung out her hair and attempted to brush through it and put it into a bun.

"I'm think we should stay here a few days, see if it's safe." he shrugged as he worked on cleaning his longer hair.

"Sounds good to me, I could use a break." She smiled as she quickly dressed and focused on scanning the area for walkers. Then suddenly she saw something she had seen before and she screamed for Dean as she raised her bow.

Time slowed down as Hailey saw a figure up in the trees and pain blossomed from her clavicle and down her shoulder. She buckled as her arrow went stray and shot off in the opposite direction. Slowly her head tilted downwards and she saw red start to bleed through her shirt as an arrow rested in her flesh. Her eyes widened and she let out a hysterical scream and crumbled.

Dean was on her then, he drew his gun and shot off at the figure only to have it disappear into the trees again. Quickly he dressed and picked Hailey up as she sobbed and clung to her shoulder.

"Shit..." Dean whispered as his eyes darted between their stuff and a lakeside cabin not far. Grabbing whatever he could he drug them to the cabin and placed her down in the kitchen after clearing the first floor. He placed her and their stuff in the pantry and headed back to get the rest of their stuff.

When he returned she was sobbing while clinging to consciousness.

"I'm-I'm going to have to push it through...here bite this." He pulled off his belt and put the rough leather of the belt between her teeth. She gave out a small hum and he started to count down as he pushed it through. She let out a muffled shriek and more blood started to gush from the wound.

"Shit!" He breathed as he pulled out the first aid kit they had and started to clean the wound. He pulled her shirt off as she nodded between conscious and unconscious. He took care to clean the wound out before grabbing a needle and fishing wire. He burned the needle from end to tip, accidentally burning himself twice, before he threaded it, his fingers shaking erratically. Looking at her puckered skin he shuddered. He had to do this. He raised the bottle of rum to her lips and urged her to swallow a mouthful. She did so with a groan. Dean whispered words of encouragement as the needle pierced the first part of her flesh and she cried out. He did it again, and then again. Once he had finished he moved to her back and repeated the process with a prayer.

Hopefully she'd survive this...

Hailey had passed out by the time he had finished stitching her front, leaving Dean alone with his thoughts and a bottle of rum.

 **~Break~**

 _November 21st, 2012 Late Evening [+121 days since outbreak]_

Hailey had spent her time in and out of consciousness the night before, but had awoken in the afternoon completely lucid. She was still in pain, but no longer in severe danger. Dean knew they needed to find someplace else to stay away from whomever had shot at them. He also knew she would need antibiotics sooner rather than later.

He had cleaned her wound again and wrapped it, fashioning a sling from an old scarf they hand found. It helped keep her shoulder from moving against the stitches. However, she had to travel slower with a backpack on to avoid it pulling on her wound.

They hadn't made it far when Hailey saw it again and hissed for Dean to drop. They both hit the grass below them as another arrow sailed over their heads and she drew her own gun trying to find where the man was this time.

"Where is he?" Dean hissed as he rolled to his back, his gun out.

"I don't know I-" she heard it again and she rolled narrowly avoiding another arrow. Her shoulder throbbed angrily as she spotted a figure not far from them, darting between the trees before them.

"Shit, he scouted ahead and has been waiting for us..." Dean realized as he stood up and started to run towards the treeline to the east of them.

"Dean!" Hailey yelled as she stopped him from walking into an arrow's path.

"Motherfucker!"

"Just go!" Hailey yelled as they bolted for the treeline, another two arrows thudding against the trees behind them.

"We can't do this with you so injured..." Dean chewed on the inside of his cheek as his eyes darted between her and the directed of the man behind them.

"We stay together Dean, come on!" She urged as she pulled his hand as she started to make her way through the trees.

"You're right. We stick together."

 **~Break~**

 _November 25th, 2012 Late Evening [+125 days since outbreak]_

They had been going non-stop almost for days. Between the man chasing them and walkers, they barely got an hour at a time. They had almost made it back towards the I85 with how quickly they were moving.

"Dean...can we rest for a second I don't feel good..." Hailey breathed heavily as she attempted to catch her breath. Her skin had started to become pale and he was sure her wound was at risk of becoming infected. How infected, he wasn't sure.

"Yeah...we can." Dean agreed as he placed his bag against the forest floor and helped Hailey do the same. Hailey kept assuring him her lethargy was normal for healing wounds, but that did little to ease his worries.

They quickly ate some jerky and drank some water before Dean urged them to start moving again.

"Dean that was barely 20 minutes." Hailey complained.

"10 minutes too long if you ask me." He snorted derisively as he helped her put the backpack against her back again. Thankfully the area they were in wasn't heavily wooded, so the moonlight trickled in fine enough at this time of night.

"Slave driver..." she whined as she stumbled slightly and Dean caught her.

"Be careful now, you're still injured..." Dean tried to offer a reassuring smile, but if he had managed it her face didn't show it.

"Dean...If I get caught, or if I get bit...please kill me."

"Don't talk like that, I'm not letting that happen!" He hissed, putting an end to the conversation. He knew what she meant, that she was a liability and sooner or later she was going to get bit.

"Yeah, ok." She shrugged with a wince. She had been able to keep less down lately starting to feel ill to her stomach. It was worrying him because she was never a big eater before the end of the world. Whether it be from stress, pain, worry, or sickness he wasn't sure. She didn't seem to have a fever at least.

As they made their way up a steep incline, they heard another arrow hit a tree and Hailey twisted to see the silhouette of a large man with antlers. Pivoting on her heel she pushed herself up the incline as Dean followed. She could hear the heavy footfalls of the man behind them as he took chase.

Once they reached the top of the incline, the forest floor flattened out enough for them both to pick up speed. However, about 7 feet away they hit a cliff a ravine. At the bottom was littered with dirty muddy water and rocks.

"Shit!" Dean hissed as he twisted, his gun out and ready.

"Dean put that away! If you shoot it off we will get cornered by walkers!" Hailey chastised as she drew her knife, unable to wield a bow with her injury.

"Shit, you're right." He grunted as he clicked the safety back on and pulled out his machete.

"If we die today...we lasted a good run I think." she swallowed as she heard the man reached the top of the ravine. Slowly the large cloaked figure moved towards them until the moonlight illuminated him.

Hailey gasped as Dean uttered a 'what the fuck' softly. The man looked monstrous. On his face was a mask made of bark and hide. The only thing you could see through it were his dark eyes. Adorning the mask were bits of bone and teeth. Some from small critters, others looked almost human. At the top were two large antlers and the top of a deer skull. Down the back of the mask ran thick dark green moss that he more than likely had to replace daily.

He wore thick dark clothing covered in mud and leaves. His cloak looked to be made from a pelt of a large animal/made from a rug but she wasn't able to tell. His boots were large and heavy, having added spikes to them made of wood.

"Jesus christ!" Hailey gasped as Dean raised his weapon to the ready.

The man before then darted towards Dean sending them flying towards the edge of the ravine. The moon illuminating the exchange as Hailey covered her startled scream with her muddied hands.

"Dean!" She screamed as he let out a grunt of effort as he pushed back, his larger form straining against the man's brute force.

"Shit!" Hailey hissed as she grasped her knife and charged the man. She slammed it into the back of his shoulder, the blade only entering in an inch or so. She had clearly hit his scapula. He roared and reared back towards her as she inched backwards, fear apparent in her eyes.

That was all the time Dean needed to move from the edge of the ravine and slam a branch into the man's side sending him careening. He roared one last time as he stumbled over the edge and plummeted to the ground. Her knife lost along with their unknown assailant.

"Jesus fuck me what was that?!" Hailey slurred, her adrenaline starting to come down.

"Don't know, don't care. We need to go now." Dean virtually dragged her from the edge and kept them walking all night intent on getting far away from whatever that was.

 **~Break~**

 _December 7th, 2012 Mid Morning [+142 days since outbreak]_

Dean had managed to steal a car and get them towards the I85 after they had escaped what they had dubbed 'Mad Forest Man'. They had spent nights in any house they could so she could rest, but it's clear she needed proper medicine. Something they didn't have.

As they drove towards Newnan, a sign caught Dean's eye and he quickly turned the car left and down a small road. The road led towards the gated entrance of a storage facility and he grinned.

"They are environmentally controlled so they should retain enough heat if we keep the storage unit wam..." his thoughts trailed off as he exited the vehicle and moved to the gates to see if they were locked. Sure enough they were, and the only way to open them was electronically. This meant they probably had to scale the fence and leave the car out here. Better to leave the locks in place to discourage unwanted guests.

He headed back towards the car and threw their tarp over the vehicle to keep Hailey's resting form covered and hidden. Turning back to the fence and found a spot he could easily scale. It took a few tries, but once he had made it inside he removed his machete and started to sweep the location.

He hadn't found any walkers inside the unit, clearly everyone had high-tailed it before coming here which was just plain lucky. Heading back towards their vehicle he started to unpack everything and move it to a large unit near an easy exit route.

He set Hailey up as best he could. She was still lucid but slept a lot. Her complexion had started to get better but she was still in dangerous waters.

"Tomorrow I'm going to go look for medical supplies." Dean declared as Hailey sleepily nodded.

"Be careful..."

 **~Break~**

 _December 9th, 2012 Late Evening [+143 days since outbreak]_

Dean's supply run was fruitful. He managed to collect enough food and water for a few weeks for the two of them, as well as a few first aid supplies. Sadly still no antibiotics. He headed out again today with less luck. He had bagged another rabbit for dinner, and found some warm winter clothes and blankets, as well as some propane and a small camping stove. Still, he was weary about heading to far into a town for antibiotics. He was alone and if he couldn't return that meant Hailey's death as well.

"You did good today Dean. I'm fine, I'm already feeling better!" She grinned as she pulled out her journal again. She was so sickly pale he knew she was lying. He just hoped it was from weariness, not sickness nor infection.

"Read it outloud tonight?" Dead inquired hopefully. He had spent all day alone and missed her company horribly.

"Sure! Alright...entry number 22...' _Sarah and Anna were able to find some seeds from one of the farm houses down the road that we can plant. I wasn't pleased they went off together, but since we had lost Gary it's been harder and harder on me to run for supplies with only Sue and Jacob fit enough to go. Our numbers have fallen since that run a week ago. A group of bandits slaughtered Tyson and Suki, took every weapon they had. It was a heavy loss. Since then we have traveled into towns less and less. It's made things harder and scarcer. I'm not sure how much longer we can survive.'_ wow this was kind of a dark entry." Hailey blinked as she dog eared the page and put it down.

"Sleepy?" Dean asked as he played with his pocket knife.

"Mhmm, maybe just a nap." her eyes slid shut and she slept well into the morning.

 **~End Chapter 2~**

 **Author's Note:** Ok so that is part two of my intro to my story. I hope you like the characters so far. The third chapter introduces Rick's groups almost instantly. Let me know if you like my little information snips at the top and if you'd like me to add anything. I was debating adding in temp and weather where it states the date and time elapsed since the ZA, but I feel like that's a touch too much information to throw at readers. Let me know if it will help you guys get immersed.

Yes Hailey's injury is survivable, no it hasn't been weeping and festering since she got it. The infection sets in around the end of this chapter, if you pay attention to the little cues. Her lethargy and tiredness is common with healing intense wounds. I took care of my mother after she had major surgery and despite no infection, she was tired, pale, felt sick, ate less/felt nauseated, in general just seemed like she was seriously ill, but it was just her body healing. The big signs are of course heat, swelling, pus, and fever. Something that hasn't been thoroughly checked and thus, it does end up becoming infected. Again, an infected wound doesn't just become septic and kill you within days or hours, it's a long and drawn out death full of suffering. She would lose her arm if it got that bad rather than just drop dead, statistically anyways. You have a pretty good chance at surviving without antibiotics, it's just a matter of do you have an arm at the end of it/are you worse for wear? The CDC has the chance of death with a dirty uncared for wound at a startling low number. As Hailey's wound is being cleaned and re-bandaged daily, it's hardly at that point.

It also did not hit bone nor an artery, I picked a spot where one can miss the major artery in the area. Woohoo anatomy books.


	3. Falling Into Place (Chapter 3)

_**Announcement: I also have a Tumblr for writing fanfiction now. If you want updates, questions, chat with me, request promps or oneshots, and get updates on new projects first, please check it out! It's Pessimistic Punctuation Or Pessimisticpunctuation . tumblr . com (remove spaces)**_

 **Info**

 **Groups:** Rick et al (Group A) - Still fleeing the farm and finding somewhere safe. Dean and Hailey (Group B) - Trying to find medication and survive while setting up for winter at the storage unit.

 **Characters so far:** Dean - Trying to save his best friend Hailey while setting up their home base at the storage facility. Hailey - Injured by the forest man, has a mysterious diary, and trying to survive as best she can.

 **Author's Notes:** I hope everyone is enjoying this so far. I've been getting some follows and favs which is amazing. Honestly made me feel very positive about this story. Thank you all so much! But I'd also appreciate some feedback as well. It helps me grow as an author and learn what you enjoy about my story. So if you can, drop a review. If not that's ok too, I know you are still there 3

Anyways I hope you enjoy this chapter. I am posting it early so you guys can meet Rick and the gang, get a little bit of Daryl action, and start delving into the story. This takes place between seasons 2 and 3. This is slight filler, but it does have a mini arc the next chapter. Enjoy~

 _ **~Start Chapter 3~**_ Trigger Warnings: Depiction of injuries in graphic detail

 _December 11th, 2012 Mid Day [+146 days since outbreak]_

Dean had opted to stay in today. Hailey wasn't doing as well and he was worried about her health. Plus it had rained horribly most of the day, turning the dirt outside the complex into squelching mud. It wasn't the best place to be running around with walkers about.

He had started to break into various units in hopes he would find something, but it was decidedly harder to do with just a pocket knife. If only he had a hammer or crowbar. Sadly, all he had was a multi-tool, with it's tiny ass 'hammer'. He had broken into the main office, to only find the bolt cutters long gone, but the keys to the janitor's closet left behind. Sadly, all he found was a mop and broom, hardly helpful in breaking in.

With a curse Dean tore himself from the door he was working on and leaned against it, eyes closed. His sweaty forehead laid against the cold metal with a small thud; He was running out of time, she wasn't getting better. In fact, she was getting worse.

Turning back to the door he decided he would try to remove the lock again when he heard the rumble of car engines.

"Shit!" He hissed as he pulled out his gun and moved towards the front of the storage facility. Right beside the sign that said 'Storage Xxtra' were a couple vehicles and an RV. Outside the vehicles stood a two men, heavily armed, a young boy, also armed, and a couple women who had piled from the aforementioned RV. They were discussing amongst themselves quietly as the man with the crossbow moved to the front gate and slammed the lock off with a heavy duty hammer. What are the chances?

Fuck, Dean thought to himself as he ripped himself away from the wall he was hiding behind. He weighed his options, his eyes glancing towards the locker that his Hailey away.

Turning back he headed towards their storage unit and hoped they would pillage what they could and leave. If he could get in and close up their unit, it may get ignored.

It felt like as of late all they relied upon was luck. He had begun rethinking the 'going it alone' approach they had. It was clear they needed more people. Specifically more people with differing abilities, maybe even medical experience.

Sadly, he wasn't that lucky. Whatever bit they had ran dry after Hailey was shot it seemed. The other group entered into the facility and he could hear them discussing the safest place to stay. Swallowing heavily Dean pulled his gun out and aimed it as the group grew closer. If they had an intention of setting up here, he had to stop it. He couldn't risk another group killing him and taking Hailey. Benefit of a doubt be damned.

He clicked the safety off as the man with the crossbow came into his sights, his arrow up and poised. He hissed out that there was a man with a gun and he found himself staring down the business end of a few pistols. Most of the group looked tired and dirty, but the man with the crossbow? He looked comfortable that way, and Dean knew right then and there he wouldn't hesitate.

The tallest of the bunch was the only one not wavering, despite having his safety off. The rest looked tired and unsure. The tall one and the one with the crossbow he would have to worry about the most. If he could convince them their group wasn't worth the trouble, maybe they'd just leave.

"I don't want any trouble, just leave." Dean warned, not removing the barrel of his gun from the redneck standing before him.

"I used to be a Sheriff, just calm down everyone. We didn't know this place was occupied, we just need somewhere to stay for the winter. My wife's pregnant you see." The tall curly haired man began to explain.

"You aren't my Sheriff. Besides, haven't you heard? World ended, doesn't mean shit anymore." His glared hardened and the man before him twitched, his finger ready to pull.

"Daryl put the crossbow down! He's one guy." The tall curly haired man ordered as 'Daryl' lowered his weapon, still glaring heavily. His longer hair moved back and forth as he let out heavy pants, clearly riled up.

"Please, my name is Rick, this is Daryl. How many of there are you?" He asked, his arms spread wide in a non-violent manner.

"Sorry officer, I don't think you are privy to that information." was Dean's impassive response as he kept his face neutral.

"Probably just one other person, female most likely. I didn't see any other tracks that are recent around here." the man Rick had called Daryl spoke. Shit, that guy was a hunter, most likely a local.

"I'd suggest you leave now." Dean ordered, refusing to respond. He kept the gun held as steady as he could, but failed to keep his light shaking at bay.

"I am sure we can come to some kind of agreement, do you need food?" Rick tried again, attempting to keep things from escalating.

"Don't need food, just need you to leave." Dean's finality was lost on the group, but Daryl? He only seemed to grow more agitated at Dean's order.

"What about medical supplies?" Rick kept going. Dean's eye twitched at that as he gave his attention to Rick long enough to signal he had hit a cord.

"You know it's not just the bite that turns people right?" that got Dean to lower his gun.

"What do you mean?" He asked Rick, who lowered his own hands as his companions lowered their guns.

"We are all already infected. Doesn't matter how you die, we all turn into them. Which means if your friend needs medical help, you're going to need us. We have a doctor." He tried again. The gears in Dean's head were turning as he flickered towards the storage unit at the end of the row they were standing in, then back towards Rick.

"I-Fine. We need antibiotics too, if you have them." He turned and motioned for them to follow him towards where Hailey was. He heard Rick say something to Daryl before the hunter disappeared around the corner.

"What happened to your friend?" Rick inquired as they approached the storage units door.

"Got hit with an arrow." Was all Dean said. It put an end to any talks that she was potentially bitten by a walker.

 **~Break~**

 _December 11th, 2012 Mid Day [+146 days since outbreak]_

"What the fuck Dean!" Hailey hissed as Rick introduced himself and Hershel to them both.

"They have medicine and a doctor, how could I say no? Just...shut your mouth and say thank you." He glared as he sat down beside her.

"It was a good thing we found you, this wound is mighty infected. Not life threatening yet, but close enough that you could seriously damage your arm. We are going to have to be VERY careful with it. I need to lance it and clean it again before re-stitching the wound. Can you hold her down?" Hershel asked as he started to pull out his supplies. Rick merely nodded and mentioned he was going to help everyone else get settled. As he left Daryl came back with a pill bottle and handed it to Hershel who smiled thankfully.

"Mind helping hold her down? This isn't going to be easy." Hershel inquired as Daryl scanned Hailey's scowling face and Dean's impassive one.

"A'ight." he slurred as he moved towards Hailey's injured shoulder, placing his larger hands on her wrist and chest. Hailey took a moment to look at the man above her, bracing herself against what was to come next.

"Ready?" Hershel asked as Hailey gave Daryl an apprehensive look.

"Yeah, sure..." She whispered as Hershel finished cleaning the wound and removing the last stitch. Slowly, he eased his blade against her wound, opening it up again painfully. She let out a screech and strained against the arms holding her with a small snarl. Daryl's arms twitched as his muscles worked against Hailey as she arched up into him. Dean, however, let out a grunt sudden force she exhibited.

Herschel began to apply pressure and eased the foul smelling pus from the wound as she started to cry, attempting to stifling a sob. Once Hershel was satisfied he took some hydrogen peroxide to kill the dead tissue and she choked on a yelp from the burning sensation that spread from the wound, all the way along her collarbone, neck, and arm. Once it had been about 30 seconds he flushed it out with water and began stitching. By this point her nerves were on fire and she barely registered the piercing of the needle. Her head lolled to the side and she stared up into the blue eyes of Daryl, her mind delirious. She chuckled lightly as Daryl turned and locked eyes with her. She couldn't help but think how absurd this whole thing was. Only in the apocalypse would people no longer keep medical spaces sterile.

"You need a bath..." She giggled as Hershel finished stitching her front. Daryls cheeks coloured as he let out a huff.

"Yeah well you stink too princess." His deep husky voice retorted, obviously offended. Dean couldn't help but stifle a laugh and shake his head. Hershel failed to hide his smile as he asked her to turn over so he could finish her back. His response was a slurred curse as Hailey's face pressed into her pillow.

 **~Break~**

 _December 11th, 2012 Early Evening [+146 days since outbreak]_

Rick was outside helping clear out an adjacent storage locker where they had started to piled their belongings. Dean had gone with him and T-Dog to retrieve all their vehicles now that the front gates were unlocked. Hailey was now sleeping happily, having taken her first antibiotic and pain med, while Hershel stayed with her to ensure the infection hadn't spread worse.

Maggie and Glenn were checking the storage units for useful items, while Lori and Carl were setting up their own sleep area with the rest of their group.

Daryl had come to join them after a cigarette, his face still tinged red from his previous embarrassment. He hadn't spoken to Hailey, nor anyone else for that matter, since he had held her down.

"Tonight we need to secure the perimeter and get set up, tomorrow when you go out hunting can you do a check to make sure that herd isn't headed this way?" Rick asked as Daryl nodded his head, snubbing out his cigarette against a wall.

"I can help you tomorrow, I have my own bow and know how to shoot it." Dean offered as Daryl gave him a funny look.

"I hunt on my own." He uttered before wandering off without another word. Dean shifted from one foot to the other awkwardly as Rick let out a short laugh.

"Don't mind him, he's always been reclusive. He'll warm up to you. If you don't mind, Glenn wanted to make a run tomorrow. Want to go with him?" Rick asked as they locked the gates and headed back to their storage units.

"Sure." Dean smiled as they started to chat about what supplies they needed. Rick had shown up just in time for their luck to run out. Maybe this was their new start?

 **~Break~**

 _December 11th, 2012 Late Evening [+146 days since outbreak]_

"Dean this is bullshit. We don't know them, we should leave once I am well enough." Hailey ranted as they settled in for bed.

"They seem like decent people...I dunno Hailey, it's getting cold already, we should be careful. With more people and supplies we have a better shot. They could have killed us, but instead they helped you. In my books, they pass enough to share a huge storage facility with." rolling his eyes Dean settled into his bed intent on getting a good night sleep for once.

"I know but...I can't help but feel like if we stay with them we'll die..." Dean chose to ignore that comment as he drifted into sleep. He knew deep down more people was a risk, but it was one he was willing to take after almost losing her.

 **~Break~**

 _December 15th, 2012 Late Afternoon [+150 days since outbreak]_

Hailey had been a bit bitchy the first few days. She was still sore, healing, and distrustful of literally everyone. But soon enough Beth and Maggie began to visit her, along with Carol on occasion as well as Hershel to see how she was healing. She had yet to meet T-dog, Carl, Glenn, and Lori due to being bedridden though. Daryl had not spoken to her or stopped by since she had offended him and she scoffed. She wasn't trying to be rude she was delirious and probably dying, he could give a girl a break at least.

"Want to try and go for a walk?" Carol asked as she smiled warmly towards Hailey.

"Hershel did say I should try...what about your shooting practice?" Hailey responded, feeling guilty for always eating up her time. Carol was a sweet woman, with a hardness to her that Hailey understood.

"You can come watch, that's what the walk is for!" She laughed as she helped Hailey up.

They never did talk much about their personal lives. Carol seemed to be the only person not pressing them for details. After asking Dean several times and getting three wildly different responses, most of the group had given up, minus Beth. The girl really wanted to know Hailey, finding her fun and charming. Dean balked when he heard that while Hailey grinned a big ol' grin and laughed out an 'I told you so!'.

"Sure, might as well learn to properly shoot!" She agreed, slowly sitting up and putting her arm in her makeshift sling. Carol helped her stand and together they slowly walked out into the sunshine.

"I never thought I'd put my hands on a gun to be honest." Carol admitted as Hailey nodded.

"Me neither, never grew up around them much." She shrugged as she left her with as little information as possible.

"I didn't grow up around them either but Ed-my late husband loved guns." Carol caught herself as she cleared her throat looking a touch somber.

"I'm sorry your husband died." Hailey didn't need an explanation to know that meant he had died after the outbreak.

"I'm not." Carol coldly responded as she gave a small nod. Hailey knew enough to read between the lines and leave well enough alone. It was just as well because Rick turned to greet them, his face wide with a smile.

"Well, that's good then. Alright so what are we shooting today Sheriff Rick?" Hailey grinned as she held out her only good hand as Carol took one of the provided guns and faced the targets.

"Nothing, in case you've forgotten you're injured." he laughed as Hailey shrugged and sat down against the wall.

"Can't blame a girl for trying. I can at least learn proper safety etc. Watch you guys shoot and learn what I can by osmosis."

"Ain't nobody ever gonna learn ta shoot a gun that way. If you wanna be useful you can help me skin these squirrels." A husky voice cut in. Turning she saw Daryl standing there, still dirty as ever, holding a string of squirrels. His accent was thicker than most of the other members of her group, which more than likely meant he was from a small town, smaller than where anyone else had come from. She always enjoyed a southern accent. Not in the same fetishizing way most did, but for how it sounded and what it reminded her of.

It reminded her in part of her father. It always always added a touch of burnt sunrise whenever the speaker spoke, which she adored. Daryl was no exception, reminding her of a brilliant sunset.

"Duty calls I suppose." Hailey shrugged as she stood and walked towards Daryl as he lead them a little bit away, where he had set up a small skinning station.

"Ever skin one before?" Daryl asked as he unloaded his crossbow to the ground carefully.

"Not well." She shrugged with an apologetic look.

"Fuckin' figures. Endin up in the apocalypse with a bunch o' city folk..." he muttered under his breath as Hailey's eyes narrowed.

"Just because I've never hunted until the world ended, doesn't mean I'm useless. Talk about judgemental, I'm learning. Everyone has to at some point!" she spat as she grabbed a squirrel and started to gut it as best she could.

Daryl started to laugh as he grabbed her hand and pulled the knife from it, taking the squirrel along as well. His fingertips were rough and calloused, which didn't surprise her in the least.

"Ya gut it like that, ain't no meat gonna be left. Watch." Daryl then showed her how to gut and skin the squirrel before handing the blade back with a fresh kill to skin.

"Thanks." Hailey mumbled as she clumsily started to gut the animal the way he had showed her. She managed to butcher it a second time, as well as cut herself, before Daryl sent her off to learn shooting by 'osmosis' with Carol and Rick.

'Maybe you'll be better at shootin' than skinnin'.' he had muttered under his breath as he deftly started to take apart the animals.

"Whatever...I'd like to see him try to do that one handed with his non dominant hand then..." she bitterly spoke. At first he seemed aloof and kind of endearing. Now? He was just rude and judgemental. What a prick.

 **~Break~**

 _December 18th, 2012 Late Afternoon [+153 days since outbreak]_

The days were becoming chillier while Hailey grew stronger. She was now cleared to help with the cooking and clothes washing with Lori, Carol, and Beth. Maggie would sometimes help out, but usually went on supply runs with Glenn. Dean had taken to hunting more, although Daryl still refused his company when he headed out.

Hailey didn't find the majority of them to be problematic, but she already knew she was going to butt heads a fair amount with the more bullheaded of the group. She was never known for holding her tongue. She knew for a fact that in a group this size, that wouldn't sit too well.

Dean easily slipped into friendship with almost all of them. He had always been more social and easygoing. However, most nights were filled with her complaining about her constant butting of heads with Daryl. It seemed they easily rubbed each other the wrong way and were more often than not found arguing about one thing or another.

Dean had to admit he found it amusing, but it was beginning to get old. On the bright side, it almost seemed as if they started to enjoy annoying each other, and the fallouts afterwards were becoming less and less.

"Look, you need to learn to get along. Daryl helps out alot, you could be a touch more thankful. Maybe go ask if he needs help widling arrows? God only knows we need to learn how to properly make them eventually." He suggested as he took stock of the arrows they had left.

"Yeah...I guess." Hailey grumbled, appearing much like a child. She wandered towards where Daryl had set up his own storage locker and bit her lip in apprehension. She wasn't good at small talk, and neither was he. This was sure to go over swimmingly.

"Hey." She greeted as she saw him sitting there cleaning his crossbow. He tilted his face to look up at her and grunted in response. Standing there balancing on the balls of her feet she cleared her throat awkwardly.

"Need any help making arrows? Dean needs some more and I am willing to learn." She offered, hands held behind her back as she teetered on her feet. Daryl took a moment to look at her and shook his head slightly, his growing fringe moving lightly, reaching just below his eyes.

"Fine, but don't talk too much." He handed her some wood he had already whittled, and started to show her how to attach the fletching. Her fingers worked clumsily as she tried to use her less dominant hand, but this time Daryl held his tongue. Once she had finished, she held up her crude start to an arrow with a lopsided grin.

"How is it?" She asked as her tilted smile irritated Daryl to no end. Taking a deep breath he plucked the arrow from her hand and removed the fletching.

"Naw, you have to tie it like this. Too much additional weight will make the arrow impossible to shoot straight. Here, I'll show ya." and he did. For the first time since she had met Daryl, they had a prompt conversation that did not end in an argument.

 **~Break~**

 _December 22nd, 2012 Early Evening [+157 days since outbreak]_

Hailey had spent most of her free time making arrows for Daryl and Dean. It was something she could practice that was useful, that also made the days go by a little faster. Hershel had advised her this morning that her shoulder was starting to heal really well. He anticipated by January she would be able to start practicing the gun conservatively. However, she was still banned from using her bow until at least February, maybe even March.

She was starting to get good at making arrows, spending less time on each one while maintaining uniform. She was almost proud when Daryl begrudgingly took them, muttering about how they were serviceable.

Dean was just happy to not have to do it himself.

"Hey, I knew I'd find you whittling away over here!" Carol joked as she came to sit beside Hailey.

"Well I have to do something, can't rely on you all forever. Eventually I'll need to be able to do these things myself."

"That's a good way to look at it. If you'd like, you are welcome to come practice killing walkers? You're going to need to be able to use your left arm while your right arm heals." Carol suggested as she pat Hailey's shoulder. Carol had changed over the past week, becoming colder and more proactive. Hailey sometimes found herself growing jealous at how quickly she had started adapting. When they had met they were both in the same boat of needing others to protect them.

Now Carol was offering to protect her while she learned.

"Yeah, I think I'd like that." Hailey nodded as Dean came over, his bow on his back and two rabbits in his hands.

"Ooo fantastic rabbits!" Carol grinned as Hailey handed a pile of arrows to Dean who took them happily.

"Thanks! I was just about to run out too." He smiled warmly as he brushed his oily hair from his face.

"Want to help Lori and I start dinner?" Carol asked, holding the dead rabbits in her hands.

"Sure, nothing better to do. Oh can you give these arrows to Daryl when you see him Dean?" Hailey asked, holding out a decent handful of arrows.

"Sure."

 **~Break~**

 _December 22nd, 2012 Evening [+157 days since outbreak]_

Dinner was served, and was spent circled around a warm fire. Everyone was trading stories over the bountiful rabbit stew that was probably going to be the last fresh meat they'd get until spring.

"So Dean, why do you always call Hailey Lee?" Glenn inquired as the previous conversation of favourite vacation spots had ended.

"Cause that's what we've always called her." Dean shrugged nonchalantly.

"I was hoping there was a story there." Glenn frowned as he took a bite of his stew.

"Sorry, it's literally just the last half of my name cause I refuse to be called Hal or Hail." Hailey smiled apologetically.

"Talk about anticlimactic." Glenn laughed.

"I can always tell you the story of how we met?" Hailey grinned to herself.

"Is this another one of your lies?" Glenn responded glibly, not at all trusting her words.

"Probably, but it might be more interesting, as for if it's the truth...well the truth is whatever you want it to be." She whimsically responded. Beth laughed and Maggie merely shook her head.

"We're a group now Hailey, you should start trusting us," Rick began, "We consider you both part of our group, so I hope one day you feel the same." Buzz kill. Hailey felt the guilt creep into her stomach as she fidgeted with her bowl. Dean took a glance towards her then sighed.

"Look the past is...just that. It doesn't matter anymore. We've told you everything of importance, who we used to be isn't who we are today." The finality in Dean's tone did little to dissuade the group.

"Come on just one thing, like where did you go to school?" Beth asked, eyes wide and curious.

"Fine, I'm an undergraduate in University and I like music." Hailey clipply admitted, causing Beth to sigh.

"An undergraduate for what? Music?"

"Nope, doesn't matter what."

"Oh! Let me guess, is it for history?" Beth tried again causing Hailey to giggle.

"I didn't tell you I was an undergraduate student so you could grill me hun." Hailey laughed as Beth pouted.

"What about you Dean?" Rick inquired, shifting everyone's attention towards the larger man.

"Uhh...worked a job, went to the same highschool as Lee, and I also like music." He shrugged unhelpfully.

"Alright just keep your secrets. Sometimes ya'll are worse than Daryl." Beth whined, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Nothing ever worth knowing comes easy." Hailey chided as she stood to wash out her bowl and retire for the night.

 **~Break~**

 _December 24th, 2012 Afternoon [+159 days since outbreak]_

"You can start shooting practice for only an hour every few days. The shoulder has healed over nicely but remember: Just because it looks healed over doesn't mean it's healed under the skin." Hershel warned as he rebandaged Hailey's shoulder, while she sat bouncing in her seat as she heard the news.

"Awesome!" She cheered, bounding to her feet.

"Don't take any pain meds while shooting. It could make your drowsy and think you're more healed than you are!" Hershel shouted after her in warning.

"I know I know! I'll be good, promise!" Hailey shouted back as she sprinted past Carl and Lori who were worked on some schoolwork while she repaired some clothes.

"Careful now!" Lori warned, the mother in her coming out. She hadn't started to show too much yet, but the swell on her stomach was hard to miss.

"I will!" Hailey laughed gleefully as she spun to give Lori a wave. Lori's response wasn't as jovial, but she still waved all the same.

"Mom can I go do shooting practice yet?" She heard Carl whine as his mother started to lecture him on ignoring his studies for guns.

"Hey Rick!" Hailey greeted, a smile full on her face.

"Hi Hailey, how are you feeling?" He smiled back, his hands in his pockets as he nodded his head. Carol was already there practicing with Maggie and Glenn. They had declined heading out today due to the clouds that had appeared overhead. It was most likely going to rain tonight, so it was best to stay in and practice.

"I'm alright, Hershel cleared me for shooting practice!" She cheered as she carefully removed her arm from her sling.

"Well isn't that good news. Here, let's start you off small. Why don't you try using the Beretta PX4 Storm Compact. It's a 9mm with less recoil than other guns so it should be easy on your shoulder." Rick handed her a small black gun with a short and stout muzzle. The weight of the gun felt heavier in her hands than it looked and she couldn't remember the feel of the 10mm she had used on occasion before her injury.

"Remember the rules of gun safety: Only point the gun at what you intend to shoot, never leave your finger on the trigger unless you are going to shoot, and always treat the gun as if it's loaded. Never leave a gun loaded if you are not using it. The last rule doesn't really apply anymore, as I'd rather we have loaded guns than unloaded in a pinch, but always treat them with care. The safety is located here," Rick flicked a small switch located far back at the but of the gun at the side, "When the safety on every gun is off you can see the red dot. Remember, if you see red you're dead." he flicked the safety back on and fully handed the gun to Hailey.

"Ok." She breathed as she flicked off the safety. Rick stood beside her explaining how the sights work, before telling her to try to shoot one of the targets they had set up. She took a deep breath in, and then out. On her exhale she pulled the trigger and her shoulder pushed backwards ever so slightly. Feeling no pain she grinned triumphantly.

"Not bad for your first shot, however you aimed your sights too far down and missed the target. Again." and she did. For the next hour she practice aiming and learning the recoil her gun did have.

By the end of it her shoulder was sore and Hershel demanded she take the next day off. But it was worth it, she had managed to hit the target more than a few times by the end of it.

 **~Break~**

 _December 30th, 2012 Early Evening [+165 days since outbreak]_

It was raining again today, which put off yet another supply run. Their rations for food and water were growing low, while the need for blankets, propane, and warm clothing only increased. It didn't help that Lori found it hard to fit into most of her clothing now. She had switched to wearing most of the mens spare shirts and sweaters where she could.

Hailey had just finished shooting practice and was heading inside as the rain grew harder to help with dinner. They had all since moved everything into two storage units to help keep everyone warm at night and preserve supplies. The second unit was used for cooking, storage, and whatever other daily activities that came up that required space.

Inside she found Carol, Beth, and Lori working on dinner, while Carl hung around talking to Beth. Hailey found herself smiling warmly at the interaction. The groups two youngest seemed to be becoming fast best friends.

"Need any help?" Hailey asked as she grabbed some baby wipes and cleaned off her hands as best she could.

"Nah, it's mostly done now. How was shooting practice?" Carol asked as she stirred whatever was cooking in the pot over their camping stove.

"It went really well. I am hitting stationary targets with about...a 75% accuracy!" She gushed as Carol congratulated her.

"I'm getting pretty good too. Soon dad says I can go out with them on runs!" Carl spoke up as he moved towards Hailey to talk about his own shooting practice. However, Hailey did not fail to miss the frown on Lori's face.

"Nice job kid! It's easier to learn things when you're younger." Hailey laughed as she flicked the hat sitting on his head. He let out a small grumble as he righted the hat, a grin still firmly on his face.

"Alright alright, come on now. Gun's are not the only thing Carl, and you are still too young to be going on any runs." Lori chastised, shooting a pointed look towards Hailey.

"Ah, yeah maybe your mom is right. You only got one after all, might as well listen to her." she shrugged trying to get out of the line of fire. It seemed to be enough as Carl grumbled but kept chatting away at what he had accomplished, letting the previous conversation about going on a run lapse. She wasn't sure if it was enough to appease Lori, but she was busy focusing her attentions on Carl, the excited child before her to really respond.

 **~Break~**

 _December 30th, 2012 Evening [+165 days since outbreak]_

Dinner had been served and mostly eaten. Daryl and Dean had returned from hunting, something they had started to do together over the past week despite Daryl's grumbling. Dean, however, was excited. He was learning to properly hunt and shoot, something he had always wanted to do before the end of the world.

He came in all smiles, holding up a few rabbits they had spent all day hunting. Daryl merely shoved his shoulder in mock irritation as he took the string of rabbits to clean and skin them.

"Nice hunting there Bear Grylls!" Hailey laughed as she practically tackled Dean.

"Whoa there! Don't give me all the credit, it was mostly Daryl." Dean attempted to pass the praise causing Daryl to let out a derisive snort.

"Well I suppose I am up then! Hey Huntsman, lemme show you how I butcher dead animals less now!" She all but shouted as she skipped towards Daryl who gave her a sidelong look.

"We ain't gonna wanna lose any meat over winter, probably best I do it myself." was his gruff response. However, Hailey had been around him long enough to detect the light joking tone he had slipped in. Like a dash of spruce.

"Yeah well, this Princess has to learn before the animal population dwindles." She scoffed. It was a grim reminder that the dead easily killed their dinner as often as they attempted to eat them. As for the nicknames? They had arisen after the first time he had called her Princess when they had first met. As a joke she started calling him Huntsman, playing off his hunting skills and his gruff demeanour that hid a kind heart.

She had started to warm up to him, learning he was less of a backwaters bigot than she had thought. He still on occasion would call Glen Chinaman and they would argue for the next hour about it. Well, Hailey would argue, Daryl would tell her to fuck off and walk away. She was the one who kept the fight going with her quips and irritated shots.

Dean fit in with him sooner and easier. He was perfectly happy to chat less, ignore more of Daryl's tense comments, and bristled less at his attitude. But all the same Hailey found herself not wanting to separate from the group, nor Daryl either.

"S'not too bad. Animals have a way of survivin." He shrugged as he cut from neck to belly on the first rabbit.

"Well maybe I just want to help, been pretty useless for a few weeks." Shrugging she grabbed a knife and one of the other rabbits joining in.

"Yer injured, why're you thinkin so hard on makin yer injury worse." He chastised. He was often berating her for one thing or another. Since the day she was injured she had complained about her boredom, her feelings of inadequacy, and obsession with ensuring it never happened again. It was as if she were preparing herself for her inevitable departure, or theirs. It had started to annoy Daryl something fierce, as if she had a death wish or something.

"I just don't want whatever skills I've obtained to atrophy. Look, I didn't take the end of the world too seriously...but I almost died, Dean almost died. I don't want anything like that to happen ever again if I can help it." She admitted as she started removing her rabbit's pelt.

Daryl chewed on his bottom lip as he put down the rabbit he had finished skinning and moved his hands to hers.

"Here, you gotta angle the knife more like this." His warm hands wove around hers, maneuvering her digits to show her the best way to hold the knife. His hands felt unusually warm around hers as she peered up at him through her lashes with a simple thank you.

 **~Break~**

 _January 4th, 2012 Mid Day [+170 days since outbreak]_

"Lee you are still injured! The earliest Hershel cleared you for a supply run is in March, and that's with constant rest which we both know you haven't had after the first few weeks!" Dean all but roared as he finished strapping his weapons to himself. He was heading out on a run that was expected to take a few days, and Hailey clearly did not agree.

"But Dean, it's dangerous out there! I know that we need more medical supplies. I know that the hunting the past few days has hit a huge snag, but I don't want you going on such a long run alone!" Hailey bitterly whined.

"I won't be alone, I'll have Glenn, Daryl, and Rick with me. I'll be fine." He pressed his hands against her shoulders and attempted to quell her growing anxiety.

"You won't have me though..." She all but whispered.

Heaving a heavy sigh Dean's hands ran down the length of her arms before grasping her hands in his larger ones, "Look, I promise no matter what I will always come back for you. We're family now, but so are they. It's time you started viewing them as such." With that he let go of her hands with a tight lipped smile and headed towards the doors.

"Oh, for what it's worth Maggie is upset she couldn't go. She caught a nasty cold, part of the reason for this run. Might be nice for some girl bonding?" and with that Dean had left their section of the storage locker and left.

Grumbling to herself Hailey wandering towards the cooking area where Maggie was resting while Lori and Carol worked on repairing everyone's clothing.

"Hi Hailey!" Carol greeted as she was mid stitch. Lori gave a small smile, while Maggie all but cheered.

"Oh fantastic! Someone to share in my misery! Come on invalid, join me in my nest." Maggie spread her arms wide opening the myriad of blankets she had cocooned herself in. With a shrug Hailey figured 'why the hell not' and dove under the covers with a warm 'mmmm'.

"You're going to get yourself sick." Lori laughed a Maggie reseated herself so Hailey had some space.

"It's alright, my immune system isn't too bad." She shrugged as Maggie let out a cough.

"Well be careful you two, Lori is pregnant we can't afford her to get sick." With that Carol tossed over two scarfs to which they fashioned around their mouth and nose.

"Man, children nowadays are going to have a pretty good immune system. But do you think vaccinable diseases are still a risk?" Hailey mused.

"Well any disease needs a denser population to spread, so it's less likely." Maggie responded.

"Yeah, unless the walkers can carry it too."

"Guys." Carol commanded halting the conversation. Beside her was the rigid form of Lori who had frozen once their conversation had started.

"I'm sorry Lori, I-I didn't even think." Hailey began fearing she had pissed off the group's matriarch again.

"No it's ok...I think about these things as well, it's a concern..." Lori finally explained as she returned to her stitching.

"Well no matter what we'll work hard to make sure that can't happen." Maggie added as Hailey nodded.

"I know you all will, thank you."

 **~End Chapter 3~  
**  
 **Author's Note:** I hope you enjoyed this, and as always, please leave a review it makes me update faster! Fav's and follows work pretty well too :)

 _ **Announcement: I also have a Tumblr for writing fanfiction now. If you want updates, questions, chat with me, request promps or oneshots, and get updates on new projects first, please check it out! It's Pessimistic Punctuation Or Pessimisticpunctuation . tumblr . com (remove spaces)**_


End file.
